Menu
International Football

FFA Announces A-League Expansion To 12 Teams

Two new clubs "could enter the A-League next year" after Football Federation Australia confirmed expansion plans for the '19-20 season in "welcome news for much of the football fraternity," according to Dominic Bossi of the SYDNEY MORNING HERALD. However, existing clubs dismissed the announcement as a "smokescreen" ahead of FIFA's "looming intervention" in the governance of Australia's football affairs. Following FFA's strategy meeting on Thursday, the organization's directors agreed to "address the dwindling interest in the A-League as the FFA's top priority and will revisit expanding the competition after several previous false starts." FFA released a statement on Friday "outlining a clear time-frame to establish a 12-team competition." It is understood FFA will "begin to actively work with interested bidding teams" for A-League licenses, already known to have emerged from Brisbane, Sydney's south, Wollongong, Tasmania, southwest Sydney, Geelong and Canberra. Australian Professional Football Clubs Association Chair Greg Griffin met the news with skepticism "in light of the arrival" of a joint FIFA and Asian Football Confederation delegation on Tuesday to "oversee talks surrounding the ongoing FFA congress crisis" (SMH, 2/16).

TASMANIA'S CHANCE: In Sydney, Shaun McManus reported FFA "unexpectedly breathed life into Tasmania's bid" for an A-League team, announcing it is targeting the '19-20 season as the start date for two new clubs. While the Australian Football League in Tasmania is "in a state of crisis" -- the Tasmanian State League is "on the verge of collapse" and there is a "perceived lack of support" from AFL HQ in Melbourne -- football "could soon receive a huge boost." A consortium, fronted by former Melbourne Victory board members Harry Stamoulis and Robert Belteky, has been "pushing for Tasmania's inclusion in the national competition" since '16 (MERCURY, 2/16).

SBJ Morning Buzzcast: March 18, 2024

Sports Business Awards nominees unveiled; NWSL's historic opening weekend and takeaways from CFP deal

ESPN’s Jay Bilas, BTN’s Meghan McKeown, and a deep dive into AppleTV+’s The Dynasty

On this week’s Sports Media Podcast from the New York Post and Sports Business Journal, ESPN’s Jay Bilas talks all things NCAA. Big Ten Network’s Meghan McKeown shares her insight into the Caitlin Clark craze. The Boston Globe’s Chad Finn chats all things Bean Town. And SBJ’s Xavier Hunter drops in to share his findings on how the NWSL is making a social media push.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

SBJ I Factor: Nana-Yaw Asamoah

SBJ I Factor features an interview with AMB Sports and Entertainment Chief Commercial Office Nana-Yaw Asamoah. Asamoah, who moved over to AMBSE last year after 14 years at the NFL, talks with SBJ’s Ben Fischer about how his role model parents and older sisters pushed him to shrive, how the power of lifelong learning fuels successful people, and why AMBSE was an opportunity he could not pass up. Asamoah is 2021 SBJ Forty Under 40 honoree. SBJ I Factor is a monthly podcast offering interviews with sports executives who have been recipients of one of the magazine’s awards.

Shareable URL copied to clipboard!

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Global/Issues/2018/02/19/International-Football/A-League-expansion.aspx

Sorry, something went wrong with the copy but here is the link for you.

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Global/Issues/2018/02/19/International-Football/A-League-expansion.aspx

CLOSE